How to Improve Your Sentence Structure

Tutor Phil

17 Jan 202109:18

Summary

TLDRIn this educational video, Tutor Phil introduces six techniques to enhance essay writing by improving sentence structure. He emphasizes sentence cleanup, eliminating redundancy, using active voice, removing informal phrases, and cutting out unnecessary words like 'there is' and 'the fact that.' Each technique is illustrated with examples to demonstrate how to craft more direct, concise, and impactful sentences, ultimately leading to stronger essays.

Takeaways

📝 Sentence Cleanup: Remove unnecessary words without changing the meaning to make sentences more concise and elegant.
🔍 Eliminate Repetition: Identify and remove redundant words or phrases to avoid repetition and enhance clarity.
🗣️ Use Active Voice: Transform passive sentences into active ones to make the writing more direct and engaging.
🚫 Avoid 'You': Replace sentences starting with 'you' with more formal alternatives suitable for academic or professional writing.
💡 Eliminate 'The Fact That': Start sentences with the actual subject instead of using the filler phrase 'the fact that'.
🌟 Get Rid of 'There Is/There Are': Replace this phrase with a more direct statement of the subject and verb for a stronger impact.
🔑 Focus on the Subject: Identify the real subject of the sentence and make it the focus for improved clarity and impact.
✂️ Continuous Refinement: Keep refining sentences by removing unnecessary elements until they are as concise as possible without losing meaning.
📉 Shorter Sentences Can Be Better: Concise sentences can be more effective if they convey the same message with fewer words.
📈 Expand Essays Thoughtfully: While conciseness is key, there are legitimate ways to expand essays without being wordy, which are detailed in a separate tutorial.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the video by Tutor Phil?
-The main topic of the video is to provide six simple techniques for improving sentence structure in essays.
What is the first technique mentioned by Tutor Phil for sentence improvement?
-The first technique is called 'sentence cleanup', which involves removing unnecessary words without losing the sentence's meaning.
How many steps are there in the 'sentence cleanup' technique?
-There are two steps in the 'sentence cleanup' technique: 1) Ask if you can cut out words without losing meaning, and 2) Repeat this process until the sentence can no longer be shortened without losing meaning.
Can you provide an example of sentence cleanup from the video?
-An example given is changing 'Many people say that when childhood finishes, problems begin to exist' to 'Many people say that when childhood finishes, problems begin' by removing the unnecessary verb 'to exist'.
What is the purpose of eliminating repetition in sentences?
-Eliminating repetition makes sentences more concise, clear, and elegant by removing redundant or synonymous words.
How does using the active voice improve a sentence?
-Using the active voice makes a sentence more direct and engaging by clearly identifying the subject performing the action.
What is the fourth technique mentioned by Tutor Phil for sentence improvement?
-The fourth technique is to get rid of the word 'you' to make sentences more formal and suitable for academic or professional documents.
Why should the phrase 'the fact that' be avoided in writing?
-'The fact that' is considered a junk phrase that can be removed to make sentences more direct and focused on the actual subject.
What is the issue with starting sentences with 'there is' or 'there are'?
-'There is' and 'there are' are junk phrases that can make sentences needlessly lengthy and can be replaced with a more direct approach focusing on the real subject.
What should be done if removing words results in a significantly shorter essay?
-If the essay becomes too short, Tutor Phil suggests looking at his blog for a tutorial on four effective ways to expand an essay while maintaining quality.
How does the technique of removing 'you' from sentences improve formality in writing?
-Removing 'you' helps to avoid directly addressing the reader, which can be informal. It shifts the focus to the subject matter, making the sentence more suitable for academic or professional settings.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Sentence Cleanup Technique

Tutor Phil introduces the first technique for improving essay sentence structure: sentence cleanup. This involves two steps: first, questioning whether words can be removed without changing the sentence's meaning, and second, repeating this process until the sentence cannot be shortened further without losing its essence. Examples are provided to demonstrate how removing unnecessary words can result in more elegant and direct sentences, which are preferable in academic and professional documents.

05:00

🔍 Eliminating Redundancy

The second technique focuses on eliminating repetition in sentences. By identifying and removing redundant or repetitive words or phrases, sentences can be made more concise and clear. Examples illustrate how removing synonyms such as 'complete' in 'complete total stranger' or 'continuously' in 'continuously used and adapted' can enhance the sentence's impact and form. The summary also compares the word count before and after the revisions to emphasize the effectiveness of this technique.

🏢 Formalizing Sentences with Active Voice

Tutor Phil explains the importance of using the active voice in academic and professional writing. By identifying the subject performing the action and rephrasing sentences to reflect this, the sentences become more direct and engaging. The example provided shows the transformation of a passive sentence into an active one, highlighting the clarity and strength gained by this technique.

🚫 Avoiding Informal Phrases

This section addresses the issue of informality in writing, particularly the use of 'you' at the beginning of sentences. Tutor Phil suggests identifying the real subject of the sentence and rephrasing it to avoid directly addressing the reader. The summary includes examples of how to restructure sentences to be more formal and suitable for academic or business reports.

🗑️ Removing 'The Fact That'

The fourth technique targets the removal of the phrase 'the fact that,' which is often unnecessary and can be replaced with a more direct reference to the subject. Examples demonstrate how rephrasing sentences to start with the actual subject, such as 'Britain's vote to leave the European Union,' can make them more impactful and clear.

🙅‍♂️ Cutting Out 'There Is/There Are'

The final technique discussed is the elimination of 'there is' and 'there are' phrases, which can be replaced with more direct statements about the subject. By identifying the real subject and verb, sentences can be rewritten to be more concise and to the point. The summary provides examples of how this technique can transform sentences into more effective and professional statements.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Sentence Cleanup

Sentence cleanup is a technique for refining and streamlining sentences by eliminating unnecessary words without changing the meaning. In the video, it is the first technique introduced and involves two steps: first, identifying and removing words that don't contribute to the sentence's meaning, and second, repeating this process until the sentence is as concise as possible. For example, the phrase 'to exist' was removed from 'problems begin to exist' to make 'problems begin,' which is more direct and elegant.

💡Filler Words

Filler words are unnecessary words or phrases that do not add meaning to a sentence but can make it longer and less impactful. The script emphasizes the importance of identifying and removing these to improve sentence structure. For instance, 'someone who is' in 'I am someone who is dedicated' was identified as a filler and removed to make the sentence more concise and powerful.

💡Eliminate Repetition

This concept refers to the removal of redundant words or phrases that convey the same meaning, thus avoiding repetition. In the script, the phrase 'complete total stranger' was simplified to 'total stranger,' as 'complete' and 'total' are synonymous, demonstrating how eliminating repetition can make a sentence more concise and clear.

💡Active Voice

Using the active voice is a technique that involves structuring sentences so that the subject performs the action. This is contrasted with the passive voice, where the subject receives the action. The video suggests that active voice often results in more direct and engaging sentences. For example, changing 'a quality improvement plan needs to be continuously used and adapted' to 'managers should continuously use and adapt a quality improvement plan' makes the sentence more active and forceful.

💡Passive Voice

Passive voice is a sentence structure where the object of the action is promoted to the subject position, and the subject of the action is either moved to a less prominent position or omitted. The video script illustrates how converting a passive sentence to active can improve clarity and directness, as seen in the transformation of 'a quality improvement plan needs to be continuously used and adapted' to an active voice sentence.

💡Formal Language

Formal language is characterized by a more structured and polite tone, often used in academic and professional settings. The script points out that starting sentences with 'you' can be informal and suggests rephrasing to maintain a formal tone. For example, 'you have to be able to have some feedback from a consumer' was rephrased to 'feedback from a consumer is necessary,' which is more suitable for formal writing.

💡The Fact That

The phrase 'the fact that' is identified in the script as a 'junk phrase' that can be removed to make sentences more concise and direct. It is often used to introduce a statement but can be replaced by focusing on the actual subject of the sentence. For example, 'the fact that Britain voted to leave the European Union' was improved to 'Britain's vote to leave the European Union,' which is more impactful and avoids unnecessary preface.

💡There Is/There Are

The script identifies 'there is' and 'there are' as phrases that can make sentences needlessly lengthy and indirect. It suggests that these constructions can often be replaced with a more direct subject and verb. For instance, 'there are many people who want to lose weight' was rephrased to 'many people want to lose weight,' which is a more straightforward and clear way to express the idea.

💡Conciseness

Conciseness refers to the quality of being brief and to the point without omitting essential information. The video emphasizes the importance of concise writing for improving sentence structure. Concise sentences are easier to read and understand, as demonstrated by the various examples provided, where unnecessary words are removed to achieve a more direct and clear expression of ideas.

💡Elegance in Writing

Elegance in writing refers to the quality of being pleasing and effective in its simplicity and clarity. The script discusses how removing unnecessary words and using active voice can make sentences more elegant. An elegant sentence is not only concise but also impactful, as shown in the examples where the removal of filler words and phrases results in more refined and polished sentences.

💡Word Count

The term 'word count' refers to the total number of words in a piece of writing. While the script acknowledges that removing unnecessary words can reduce the word count, it also suggests that writing concisely does not mean losing content but rather enhancing the quality of the writing. The video mentions a tutorial on expanding essays effectively without being wordy, indicating a balance between conciseness and comprehensiveness.

Highlights

Six simple techniques are introduced to improve sentence structure in essays.

Technique 1: Sentence cleanup involves cutting out unnecessary words to maintain meaning.

Example given of removing 'to exist' from a sentence for conciseness.

Technique 2: Eliminate repetition by removing redundant words or phrases.

Example of removing 'complete' from 'complete total stranger' to avoid redundancy.

Technique 3: Use active voice to make sentences more direct and engaging.

Example of changing passive 'needs to be continuously used and adapted' to active voice.

Technique 4: Remove the informal word 'you' to make sentences more formal.

Example of rephrasing 'you have to be able to have feedback' to a formal structure.

Technique 5: Avoid the phrase 'the fact that' as it is unnecessary.

Example of rewriting a sentence to focus on the actual subject rather than 'the fact that'.

Technique 6: Eliminate 'there is' or 'there are' to make sentences more concise.

Example of removing 'there are' from a sentence about people wanting to lose weight.

Writing wordy sentences is not a good way to add content to essays.

A tutorial on four effective ways to expand essays is available on the tutor's blog.

Shorter sentences can be better if they convey the same meaning more concisely.

The importance of removing filler words to make sentences more punchy and direct.

A comparison of original and improved sentences to demonstrate the impact of the techniques.